The PDF Viewer Trifecta

Since this post was published, we have released Foxit PDF SDK, the only true multiplatform SDK in the market, available for Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, Android, UWP and Web. It features a single, consistent core API, as well as a built-in viewer and UI for faster development. Learn more.

Earlier this month we announced the release of our MobilePDF Software Development Kit (SDK) for Universal Windows Platforms (UWP), which follows on from the previous launch of our Rapid Development Kit (RDK) for Android and iOS. Our RDK helps developers, who have limited knowledge of PDF Technology, easily integrate Foxit’s powerful technology into their own apps. This combination of Android, iOS and UWP is what I like to call ‘The PDF Viewer Trifecta’.

The Trifecta

The Trifecta are the platforms that most companies are looking to support when they release new apps for their customers. Some businesses are focused on trying to use web browsers to deliver cross-platform web apps to their customers, but they can create an incomplete user experience and performance which is not as impactful as Native apps. Our customers use the Foxit WebPDF Viewer for these types of projects.

But many companies are now turning their focus to providing their apps as platform native solutions. Providing these solutions has its advantages, such as high performance, better user experience and greater app store visibility but they can be costly in time. Deciding the right solution for your end user is very important.

UWP as a Platform

What is clear is that Android, iOS and UWP are the three key platforms that companies are focusing on when they develop their product roadmaps. The reasons for focusing on Android and iOS are clear. But for Window’s UWP, where the platform is still in its early stages, businesses — including us — are betting that it’s versatility and a hard push from Microsoft will eventually mean that it is more widely adopted by home and business users alike.

Windows Classic apps aren’t going anywhere, but for future development where the option is a classic WinForm application or a UWP app, the likely direction is UWP and this is something we have seen over the past couple of years from businesses starting new projects which target Android, iOS and UWP.

Add to the mix the fact that Microsoft’s acquisition of Xamarin a couple of years ago now means that Windows developers can develop cross-platform apps which target Android, iOS and UWP and it’s clear that using UWP for Windows increasingly makes a lot of sense for businesses.

Conclusion

Providing an app for multiple platforms requires a lot of investment in development resources which is why we have created Foxit PDF SDK for Android, iOS and UWP to minimize the development resources required by providing one consistent PDF Viewer SDK with support for annotations, form filling, signatures and much more on these key platforms.

Will our ‘trifecta’ stay the way it is now? Only time and the market will tell. Until then we will continue to focus our efforts on it.